


American Gothic

by narutoandsasukearelovers



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern: No Powers, Alternate Universe - Non-Magical, Creepy, F/F, Fluff, Gen, Gothic, Horror, Minor Luna Lovegood/Ginny Weasley, Other, Road Trips, no magic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-27
Updated: 2020-11-27
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:08:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,394
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27744244
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/narutoandsasukearelovers/pseuds/narutoandsasukearelovers
Summary: Ginny Weasley, Luna Lovegood, and Angelina Johnson go on a road trip through the American Midwest some time after the battle of Hogwarts. Strange events transpire in Iowa. Minor Ginny/Luna.
Relationships: Luna Lovegood/Ginny Weasley
Comments: 3
Kudos: 12





	American Gothic

For the last hour, Luna had lain sprawled out on the backseat, watching earwax removal videos on her phone. Ginny drove, and Angelina slept leaning against the passenger-side window. Outside the car, clouds blindfolded the moon. Even if the sun were still shining, there wouldn’t have been much to see. For the last several hours, the three girls had driven through nothing but cornfields—an endless corridor of green stalks. It was Luna’s idea to avoid highways so they could experience “the real Midwest.” That had sounded charming this morning, but now it was past midnight, and the station wagon still made its way in a straight line through seemingly infinite parallel rows of corn. Ginny glanced at the GPS, which had been silent for a long time. There were no curves on this road, and no structures visible from the car to break up the monotony of the landscape. The GPS’s display told Ginny that it would be another hour before they’d reach the hotel they had booked near Des Moines. 

Ginny didn’t have time to see the stalks on the side of the road part. She only just had time to see the deer bound across the road, its patchy coat flashing white in the beam of the headlights. Slamming on the brakes, she swerved to avoid striking the animal. Luna shouted as she tumbled off the backseat. The station wagon’s tires crunched over the narrow gravel strip that separated the road from the field as it barreled in, corn stalks _thwap_ -ing against the windshield. The car came to a stop a few feet in. 

“I thought you were supposed to be the best driver?” Angelina said, holding her hand to her temple, which had slammed against the window. “I think I’m concussed,” she groaned.

“I’m sorry, there was a deer. Are you okay?” Ginny apologized, fussing over her while Luna climbed back onto the backseat, this time sitting upright and buckling her seatbelt. 

“Yeah, never better, thanks, Gin,” Angelina said, still a little cross.

“Well, that was a real humdinger, wasn’t it?” Luna remarked with a smile, pushing her hair out of her face. Ginny met her eyes in the rearview mirror and couldn’t help but grin back. 

“Are you getting too tired? I could take a turn driving,” Luna offered.

“No, I’m definitely awake now, but I’ll take you up on that tomorrow,” Ginny said as she reversed back onto the road. 

“I’m glad nobody saw that, do you think we would have been fined or something?” Angelina said, watching the patch of ruined crops disappear behind them.

“No way. That was nothing, these fields are huge.” Ginny answered. 

“Still kind of embarrassing for you, though.” Luna said. 

“Oh, shut up, Loony, like you would have done any better.” Angelina said. Luna had waited until she was twenty to get her license, and it showed when she drove. She grinned and rolled her eyes. 

After what felt like forever, Ginny halted the station wagon at an intersection whose single light flashed yellow in the dark. As the station wagon came to a stop, the GPS finally spoke. 

“Faster route available. Press OKAY to proceed.” The GPS said.

“Oh, _hell,_ yes,” Angelina said, peering at the screen. “We’d be there in half an hour!” 

“Sounds good to me.” Ginny said, pressing the green OKAY button. 

“I can’t wait for the continental breakfast.” Luna said.

“In ten feet, turn right onto County Road 214.” The GPS said. Ginny turned right.

They followed the road for some time, and gradually the narrow hall between cornfields gave way to open land. There were gnarled orchards and fields of lanky cattle whose eyes shone green when the headlights passed over them. Further along, Ginny assumed there were houses. They were set far enough back from the road that the only evidence anyone lived there at all were a few crooked mailboxes by the side of the road, one every few miles. 

“I can’t wait to take a hot shower,” Ginny mused. 

“Oou, me, too. Can I braid your hair after?” Luna said. Ginny smiled. 

“Thanks, Lu, that sounds nice.” She said. 

“Speaking of which, what’s our ETA, missy?” Angelina asked.

Ginny looked at the GPS and noticed that the little arrow marking their location that had been there just a second ago had disappeared. 

“Oh, shit, I don’t know, give it a second.” She said, sighing and tapping the display to see if their ETA had changed. The hotel was supposedly fifteen minutes away, but the area they were driving through looked nothing like how Ginny had imagined Des Moines. 

“Recalculating,” The GPS said. The little arrow reappeared. “Make a U-turn. In two miles, turn left on Cornell Road.” 

“Oh, great.” Ginny groaned, swinging the car around. 

“Look, a dog!” Luna pointed from the backseat. Ginny stopped the car halfway through her U-turn. On the other side of the road, a tall, mangy-looking dog was illuminated by the station wagon’s headlights. 

“Do you think it belongs to somebody?” Luna asked. The dog was tearing at something on the ground, devouring large chunks of whatever it was with each bite.

“Oh, ew, is that…?” Angelina trailed off, grimacing.

Ginny squinted and pulled the car up a little further. The dog, red-muzzled, was ripping the entrails from the carcass of another, smaller dog. The dead dog’s metallic tag flashed as Ginny quickly completed the U-turn, swearing under her breath as she did so.

“That was fucking disgusting. God, I can’t wait to get to the fucking hotel.” Ginny said, jabbing at the GPS to see their next turn. 

“So far, Iowa sucks.” Angelina remarked, reclining in her seat and crossing her arms.

“Maybe it’ll look nicer in the daytime,” Luna said.

“Yeah, I fucking hope so.” Ginny said. 

Angelina leaned forward to turn on the radio, moving the dial through stations until she found one that wasn’t just straight static. Creedence Clearwater Revival filled the car. 

_I see a bad moon a-rising_

_I see trouble on the way._

“Oh, I love this song,” Luna said, bobbing her head to the melody.

Ginny and Angelina exchanged a glance. The sooner they got to the hotel, the better. 

“In ten feet, turn right onto Cornell Road.” The GPS said.

Ginny turned onto a little road no wider than a driveway. Instead of corn, tall, thick trees lined the sides of the road, forming a canopy overhead. Some of the branches hung so low that they brushed the roof of the car. It seemed to Ginny that the night pressed in close to the station wagon as it nosed its way down the lane.

“Recalculating.” The GPS said. The little arrow was gone again.

“Oh, Christ, not again.” Ginny said, growing more agitated. She kept driving, hoping the GPS would right itself before they went any further out of their way. The arrow reappeared five minutes later. This time, the GPS seemed to stay on its current route. 

“In five miles, turn right onto Southeast Second Street.” The GPS said.

“I thought Des Moines was supposed to be more developed than this,” Angelina said.

Ginny had a thought. When was the last time she had seen another motorist? They hadn’t passed another car in hours. Was that normal in the Midwest? Maybe nobody went out late in Iowa. Maybe that’s how things were here. She thought about asking the others if they had seen another car in the last few hours, but decided to keep the question to herself, not wanting to seem paranoid. Ginny glanced in the rearview mirror and saw that Luna was dozing in the backseat. Angelina had her head resting against the window, her face turned away. Ginny couldn’t see if she was awake or not. All three of them were exhausted. On the side of the road, a green county-issued sign read _WELCOME TO ELDON_. A few miles later, Ginny turned right onto South East Second Street.

“In one thousand feet, your destination is on your right.” The GPS said.

Angelina yawned and rubbed her eyes, tucking a stray loc behind her ear. 

“Is this Des Moines?” she asked.

“I don’t think so. We passed a sign that said we were coming into Eldon,” Ginny said. 

“I think the GPS is confused. We really need to stop, though. It’s like, two in the morning.”

“Your destination is on the right.” The GPS said.

Ginny pulled the station wagon into the lot of a run-down motel. A googie-style neon sign out front read _Eldon Inn._ Another, smaller one advertising vacancies hung underneath, blinking unsteadily. The lobby was well-lit, and from the car a woman was visible, sitting behind the reception counter. Much to Ginny’s relief, several cars were in the parking lot, and across the road from the motel was a dinky 24-hour diner, which was lit up as well. She could make out a few patrons sitting at the counter, and a cook working behind the bar. 

“Who the hell lives here?” Angelina asked, rubbing her temple again.

“Not us, thank God.” Ginny replied. Angelina reached into the back seat and jostled Luna’s leg to wake her.

Checking into the motel was uneventful, as was unloading the car. The room itself was so nondescript it bordered on uncanny, from the two double beds covered in floral polyester bedspreads to the popcorn ceiling to the red-brown carpet that couldn’t seem to commit to any one pattern. 

Luna set her bag down and shucked off her overalls, leaving them crumpled on the floor. She flung herself onto the bed, still scrolling on her phone, and Angelina plopped down next to her. Ginny put down her things and headed to the shower. The bathroom was cramped, but clean, and the shower ran hot. Ginny stepped in and drew the curtain. Piling her hair on top of her head, she scrubbed at her scalp hard enough to send suds sliding into her eyes. She turned her face into the water to rinse. Blinded by the shower’s stream, the back of her neck prickled despite the warmth of the water. She developed the impression that she wasn’t alone in the bathroom. 

Seconds later, she heard the shower curtain crinkle as if something had brushed against it. She yanked the shower curtain open, the screech of the curtain hooks loud in the empty bathroom. She exhaled, not realizing that she had been holding her breath, and chalked up her lingering feeling of unease to their unsettling drive and unplanned detour. Ginny finished her shower with her eyes wide open.

Padding into the bedroom, she dressed in a camisole and boxers and sat on the edge of the bed, her feet on the floor and her elbows resting on her knees. Luna grabbed a hairbrush and sat down cross-legged behind her. She arranged Ginny’s wet hair so it all lay straight down her back. Luna brushed for longer than was necessary, just because she liked the feel of it under her fingers. Ginny’s hair was silky and shone like copper in the light of the motel lamp, and the astringent, floral smell of the complimentary soap clung to her still-damp skin. When Luna’s arms began to tire, she stopped brushing and began to plait Ginny’s thick red hair. She studied the shape of Ginny’s freckled shoulders underneath the straps of the camisole as she tied off Ginny’s braids. Ginny turned to thank Luna but never got the words out. Possessed by sudden desire, Luna cupped Ginny’s face in her hands and pulled her into a kiss. Ginny sank into her embrace, her heart hammering against her sternum. Luna kissed up the pale column of Ginny’s neck and breathed into the hollow beneath her ear. 

“You look cute in braids,” she said, taking Ginny’s earlobe gently between her teeth. Ginny inhaled sharply and blushed like mad.

The girls on the bed separated as Angelina emerged from the bathroom, wrapped in a thick white towel. Luna examined her cuticles and Ginny feigned interest in the alarm clock that had been blinking 3:00 AM since they’d arrived. If Angelina had seen anything, she didn’t let on. 

“I know it’s late, but does anyone else want to go to the burger joint across the street? Twenty-four-hour diner, bay-bee,” Angelina asked as she changed into sweats.

“Yes! I’ve been craving a milkshake all day,” Luna said.

“Fine, but can we go straight to bed after?” Ginny groaned. 

“I’m just too hungry to go to sleep and we’re out of fig newtons.” Angelina said, brandishing an empty container. Luna put back on her overalls and shoved her feet into her boots. Ginny threw on a sweater and pulled a pair of jeans over her boxers. Angelina only had to slip on her Birkenstocks and then all three of them were ready to go. 

The three of them walked across the dark road to the diner. It was empty now, save for two men—a cook and a waiter. The girls slid into a booth and the waiter handed them their menus. Luna didn’t even glance at the menu. She ordered a strawberry shake and fries. Ginny and Angelina both ordered burgers, and while they ate, the cook and the waiter chatted with each other in a booth at the other end of the small restaurant. Both men were sallow and skinny and their shrewd eyes stayed on the girls’ booth in a way that made the girls wary. The men didn’t try to stifle their coarse laughter. The girls did their best to avoid eye contact with them while they finished their food.

“Do you think they’re talking about us?” Angelina asked under her breath.

“I don’t know. I hope not.” Ginny said. Luna made a face and sucked down the rest of her shake. Angelina paid for everyone’s meals, and as she, Ginny, and Luna exited the diner, the cook called out to them:

“We’d like to see you again real soon, little ladies!” and the two men laughed their gravely laughs, muffled by the glass of the closing diner door. 

The girls hurried back to their hotel room. Luna double-checked that both the deadbolt and the chain lock were secure before she stripped again, leaving her clothes in a pile and walking nude across the room to the shower. Ginny watched her go as she herself undressed and climbed into bed. In the meager light of the lamp, Luna’s limbs were ghostly pale against the shadows of the room. She was never modest, and Ginny didn’t mind. 

As soon as Ginny pulled the covers over herself, she was asleep. She slept deeply, only waking briefly when Luna slipped into bed with her and slid her arm around her waist. She fell back asleep to the sensation of warm breaths against the back of her neck, quiet and regular. 

In the morning, Ginny woke to an empty bed. Confused, she propped herself up on her elbow and saw in the blackout-curtain semidarkness that Luna and Angelina were still sleeping soundly in the other bed. She wondered what had compelled Luna to switch beds in the middle of the night. Truthfully, Ginny was a little offended, but she tried not to dwell on it. After all, she did sometimes kick in her sleep. She checked her phone and balked when she discovered that it was already eleven in the morning. Ginny groaned. She quietly made her way to the bathroom to pee and brush her teeth before she got dressed. 

In front of the mirror, she undid the braids that Luna put in her hair the night before. Her hair had dried into soft waves overnight and Ginny enjoyed the way they framed her face. While she was admiring her reflection in the mirror, she noticed that Angelina had woken. 

“Hey Angie, wake Luna up. We slept in past checkout.” She said, wetting her toothbrush. 

Angelina scowled and jabbed Luna in the side a few times to wake her up. 

“Morning, Lu, get up. We slept in too late.” She said, swinging her legs over the side of the bed. 

Ginny was the first one ready. She loaded the car while Luna and Angelina finished their morning routines. This time, Angelina drove, and Ginny sat shotgun, with Luna once again in the back seat. 

Angelina circled the station wagon around through the lot and parked it under the carport in front of the lobby. She left the car running and had made it halfway to the lobby door before she stopped. She stood there for a minute before she strode back to the car, poking her head in the driver’s side door. 

“Look at the lobby.” She said, her voice tight.

“What?” Luna asked.

“It’s, like, I don’t know...” Angelina replied. “Just look at it.”

Ginny and Luna exited the station wagon and crossed the pavement to the lobby door. Sure enough, when Luna tried to open the door, it didn’t budge. Inside, the lobby was barren. The lights were off, and a thick layer of dust covered every surface. There was a large brown stain on the floor in front of the desk where a leak had allowed mold to grow in the carpet. It looked as if nobody had been inside for a very, very long time. 

“Uh, what the fuck?” Ginny said, looking. None of the cars that were there the night before were still in the parking lot, and some of the rooms’ windows were broken. Trash littered the lot. 

“I’m going back to the car.” Luna said, already climbing inside. 

Ginny and Angelina were quick to follow.

“At least we don’t have to pay for late checkout?” Luna said, trying to lighten the mood.

“I want to get the fuck out of Iowa, like, _now_.” Ginny said, taking a deep breath.

“Yeah, me too, but I want to check one more thing before we go.” Angelina said, 

driving the station wagon across the road and up to the diner. The diner, much like the motel, was deserted. Angelina hopped out of the car and peered into the restaurant’s window. No waiter, no cook. Salt shakers and napkin holders still sat on the tables, but everything was covered in a bloom of dust. A rat scurried across the room, headed for a darker corner. 

Angelina got back into the car. 

“We’re taking the highway this time.” She said, putting the station wagon into drive and following the signs that lead to Interstate 80. 

“Oh, and don’t bother with the GPS.” She added. 

“No shit,” Ginny said. “Hey, Luna, I was meaning to ask you, did I kick you or something last night? Why’d you switch beds?” 

Luna’s brow furrowed. “I shared with Angelina. When I got out of the shower, you were starfished out and there was no room for me. I didn’t want to wake you.”

“Uh, you _did_ wake me, when you got into bed.” Ginny said.

“You must have been dreaming, Gin, but I’m glad you’re dreaming of me.” Luna said, giving Ginny a cheeky wink. Ginny sat in silence for a while. Maybe it was just a dream, but it felt so real. She could have sworn that Luna had crawled into bed with her. They spooned, for Christ’s sake. If it wasn’t Luna, who was it? Ginny didn’t want to think about that. She decided it must have been a dream.

Before long, the needle on the station wagon’s fuel gauge tipped towards E. Taking the next exit that had a gas station, the girls pulled up to a Kwik-Trip. Angelina filled up the tank and Ginny ran inside to pick up some snacks for the road. She approached the clerk with fig newtons and Doritos, and smiled in relief when she saw that he appeared to be a normal, portly, middle-aged man.

“Just passing through?” He asked. 

“Uh, yeah, we spent the night in Eldon, do you know it?” she asked.

“Eldon? Nobody’s been through there in a long time. It collapsed back in 2009, what with the recession and all.” He said as he rang up her things.

“Are you positive? We stayed at the Eldon Inn.” She said, fiddling with the card reader.

The clerk gave her a condescending smile and handed her the receipt. 

“You’re not from around here, are you?” He said. 

  
  



End file.
